You’re Beautiful: Episode 16 (Final)

I liked it quite a lot, and thought it tied up our ends nicely. I enjoyed the way the main conflict was resolved, and while it wasn’t perfect, I like its balance between hitting that dramatic climax and reminding us of its sense of fun.

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EPISODE 16 RECAP (FINAL)

Mi-nyeo stops to look at some stars on display in a storefront, and turns just as Tae-kyung spots her through the crowd. The music stops and the world goes silent as the two stare at each other… until Mi-nyeo breaks the moment by bowing in greeting.

Tae-kyung tries to find his way out of the crowd, but when he looks over at Mi-nyeo, she’s gone. The background song (“Without Words”) echoes his sentiments as he asks, “She went without a word? She just bows in greeting and leaves?”

He returns to the agency, feeling dissatisfied. When he encounters Sung-chan with the stylist, he asks to see Mi-nam, who is supposedly out with Hoon-yi.

He’s not actually with Hoon-yi, however, as the latter runs into Mi-nyeo in the street and the two stop to chat. Mi-nyeo hears that her brother is currently making an appearance in Jinju, and asks if it would be possible to meet him before she leaves. She’s headed to Africa to join a nun acquaintance in charity work. It turns out she’s leaving on the day of Mi-nam’s first concert.

Tentatively, Hoon-yi asks if she’s going to leave without seeing the others. Mi-nyeo answers that she’s always watching them from afar, and has been keeping up with all their news. Hoon-yi asks if something happened between her and Tae-kyung, because Tae-kyung never asks about her, nor does he talk to Mi-nam.

Prompted by Tae-kyung’s questioning, Sung-chan wonders where Mi-nam is; he was supposed to have returned from an event with Tae-kyung. Nervously, the stylist calls Hoon-yi to tip him off, and warns that Sung-chan can’t find out that Hoon-yi sent him to Jinju without his knowledge.

A colleague mentions seeing Mi-nam in Jinju, so Sung-chan looks at the stylist suspiciously. They’re not doing stuff behind his back, are they? He wants to see Mi-nam in 30 minutes.

In a panic, Hoon-yi wonders how to handle this, then looks to Mi-nyeo with pleading eyes. In a familiar gesture, he gets on his knees to beg her (as he did in Episode 1) to become Mi-nam for one last time. Just for a short while, to prove to Sung-chan that he’s still in Seoul.

Mi-nyeo vehemently says no — she’ll be discovered right away. In desperation, Hoon-yi reveals the reason he needed to send Mi-nam to Jinju in the first place. He’s about to become a father, and Mi-nam is helping him save up extra cash by doing side gigs in order to prepare the baby’s essentials. The mother… is stylist Wang! Things happened on the trip to Japan, and now she’s pregnant…

HAHAHA. Mi-nyeo is no match for such a pathetic story, so she reluctantly agrees.

Still mulling over their encounter in the street, Tae-kyung tries to understand why Mi-nyeo disappeared:

Tae-kyung: “She may have not seen me. No, she bowed in greeting, so there’s no way she didn’t see me. She saw me and just ignored me. Pig-Rabbit, why on earth did you do that?”

This segues into another fantasy sequence. In the first scenario, Mi-nyeo is dressed in her habit and decides to become a nun. So did she disappear because she has decided to take her vows? But no, she definitely gave that up, and it’s not a path someone could return to easily.

Then, did she decide to become a pharmacist’s wife? No, he recalls that Dong-joon is still in the army and was going to seek her out after he had been discharged.

Then did she decided to join the fan ranks instead, content to be a spectator cheering him on and writing him fan letters? But no, he mutters, “If she’s a fan, she should have at least come to me to ask for my autograph. Is she no longer a fan at all? Have I been dumped entirely?”

Mi-nyeo uncomfortably dons Mi-nam’s clothes to be presented to Sung-chan. This allays Sung-chan’s suspicions, and he apologizes for doubting Hoon-yi.

Hilariously, when the stylist starts to energetically hit Hoon-yi for the close call, Mi-nyeo cautions her to be careful for the baby’s sake. The stylist wonders, “Huh?” Hoon-yi hurriedly brushes this aside, tipping us off that he invented the story to appeal to Mi-nyeo’s sympathies.

An angry voice calls out Mi-nam’s name: Jeremy comes storming down the hall, demanding that Mi-nam confess where Mi-nyeo is. Hoon-yi intercepts him to avoid subjecting Mi-nyeo to a face-to-face confrontation.

(I only include this screencap at above left because it’s hilarious to see Hoon-yi dragging away a persistent Jeremy by the feet. Oh, Lee Hong-ki, you’re adorable.)

Shin-woo arrives from the other direction and confronts Mi-nyeo, about to say something. The stylist ushers her away quickly and detains Shin-woo. Mi-nyeo turns back with sad eyes to say, “Shin-woo hyung, I’m sorry.”

After thinking it over, Tae-kyung comes to a conclusion:

Tae-kyung: “I don’t want to admit it, but I’ve been dumped. Believing that she would come back when she was feeling better was my delusion. Pig-Rabbit looked totally fine. I was the only one hanging on. Before things get any worse, I’d better reply that I’m okay.”

Mi-nyeo trudges down the agency hall, stopping a few feet away when she spots Tae-kyung. She thinks, “Mother Superior, I have to leave my star far away, but why is it twinkling brightly before my eyes again?”

As she turns to go, Tae-kyung calls out to her, thinking it’s Mi-nam. His tone is cool and sarcastic:

Tae-kyung: “Tell your sister that I saw her message that she was okay. If I’d seen her in person, I would have felt bad, but now that things have ended cleanly, tell her thanks. I saw her briefly earlier, but because of the fans, we couldn’t meet properly. Make sure to tell her I’m fine and doing really well.”

His sardonic manner is a front to cover his true feelings, but the words hurt Mi-nyeo. She thinks sadly, “It’s a relief to hear that you’re doing fine. From now on, I will be fine too.” So when Hoon-yi asks if she’s sure she doesn’t want to see Tae-kyung, she answers that Tae-kyung is fine without seeing her. It’ll be better for both of them not to meet.

Her exit is thwarted by an oblivious Sung-chan. He has prepared a meeting that Mi-nam had requested of him, and is enthusiastic to be of service. He drags her off for the meeting, and Hoon-yi furtively makes baby sounds to remind her of his sob story.

When she arrives at the restaurant, she’s shocked to realize that the person Mi-nam has been begging to meet is Heyi. Apparently, he’d been very good to her in the aftermath of her breakup with Tae-kyung, and now wants to take things another step forward. As Sung-chan greets Heyi, Hoon-yi hurriedly advises Mi-nyeo to not engage with her. It’s too bad for the real Mi-nam, but she’d better ignore her as much as possible.

Mi-nyeo keeps her head down and her answers brief, while Heyi adopts an air of annoyance. Her words express displeasure that he’s been following her around, and she has told him that she’s not interested, but her attitude indicates that she’s actually enjoying playing this part. She calls his plan to reveal his feelings for her at the upcoming concert “immature,” and tells him not to do it.

She adds, “Does Hwang Tae-kyung know you like me and keep following me around? Doesn’t that bother him at all? Anyway, you haven’t told Tae-kyung about your sister, right? If she meets him again, I won’t see you anymore.”

Back at the studio, Tae-kyung broods about the message he had given for Mi-nyeo: “Will he have told her what I said? When she hears it, she’ll think I’m over her, and won’t want to see me again. What do I do?” He makes a decision and calls Hoon-yi, asking where Mi-nam is.

At the restaurant, Sung-chan doesn’t take Hoon-yi’s hints to leave and is determined to stick around for moral support. In fact, he also called Jeremy and Shin-woo.

Dreading the impending scene, Hoon-yi fortifies Mi-nyeo with soju. She says she won’t be sober if she drinks it, but that’s exactly the point — if she is herself, she’ll be recognized right away. If she drinks the soju and collapses, Hoon-yi will usher her out and handle everything. He overrides her last protests by reminding her that Sung-chan will suggest going to the sauna together afterward. Mi-nyeo is horrified at that thought and chugs.

By the time the others arrive, Mi-nyeo is passed out. Tae-kyung grumbles, “What’s with him?” Happy to have avoided potential trouble, Hoon-yi announces proudly, “He’s drunk!” Heyi fawns over Mi-nam to make Tae-kyung jealous, while Sung-chan invites everyone to sit for a drink. It’s been a while since they were all together.

A little while later, Mi-nyeo stirs in her sleep and ends up slumping over, onto Tae-kyung’s lap. At first he’s irritated and starts to move her — but he notices something odd. Touching her hand, he remembers how it felt to hold it and recognizes that this is Mi-nyeo. He keeps his surprise well under control, but Shin-woo notices his reaction and catches on.

Tae-kyng offers to take Mi-nam home, and when Hoon-yi returns to the table, they’re gone. Shin-woo tells him quietly, referring to Tae-kyung, “I think he knows who it is. The president hasn’t caught on yet, so it’ll be okay.”

Tae-kyung remains parked in the driveway for a while, until Mi-nyeo wakes up. She mumbles for Hoon-yi, but is shocked to find Tae-kyung beside her instead. Quickly, she tries to think how to act in this unexpected situation. She fumbles for the door, forgetting that she still has her seat belt on. He unbuckles her, and as she stumbles out of the car (still a little drunk), Tae-kyung says to himself, “I’ve caught a Go-Mi-nam-impersonating Pig-Rabbit.”

Mi-nyeo thinks she’ll have to confess her identity rather than trying to keep the lie going, but tummy troubles force her to make a quick decision: it’s too embarrassing to reveal her identity and then go to the bathroom, so she’ll have to go to the bathroom first. With that decision made, she hurries inside to use the facilities, rushing by Tae-kyung without saying anything.

When she comes out of the bathroom, she starts to tell Tae-kyung who she is… but is hit with thirst. Deciding to get a drink first, she ignores him and rummages in the refrigerator, trying to decide how to act.

From Tae-kyung’s point of view, this looks like she’s being rude, and he waits to see how she’ll act. Seeing her clumsiness, he tells her she’ll have to sober up first, and makes her some honey tea. He hands her the cup and holds up a hand, asking what it is. (This calls back an earlier moment, when she’d answered, “A palm.” He’d corrected her then, saying that the answer is five, as in fingers.) This time she answers, “Five,” and he replies that the correct answer is a palm.

At this, Mi-nyeo guesses that he knows the truth. He tells her, “Your hand has no scar, and your shoe size is a lot smaller than your brother’s. I know a lot more about you than that — did you think I wouldn’t recognize you?”

Curious to know if she got his message, he asks how long she’s been Mi-nam today — was she at the agency earlier? Mi-nyeo understands that he’s really asking whether she heard his message. She confirms that she did. Tae-kyung is uncomfortable and starts to explain, but she says, “I’m glad you are doing well.”

Having taken his statement at face value, she feels sorry that she messed things up — she had sung his mother’s song to make him feel better, because she was worried he’d still be feeling bad. If she’d known he was already over everything and feeling fine, she should have left things alone, but meeting again must be an inconvenience to him.

He asks if she’d intended to turn away earlier without seeing him. Tears start to fall as Mi-nyeo answers, a little drunk and sad:

Mi-nyeo: “I told myself I couldn’t see you, but you’re someone who draws the eye. But if I see you, it hurts and makes things tough for me. After only living at the convent, I came to live in this land of stars and was hit by electricity, and lost my senses. I flew up right into the heavens, and then crashed down to the ground. Fireworks exploded in my head, and in one moment a thundering rainstorm crashed down on me. Since I’ve left this star-land, I saw the path I am to live. I would have to leave the star-land and just watch it from afar. If I see the brightest-shining star close up, it’s so blinding to the eyes that it hurts. That is why I am going to go far away.”

After saying her piece, she falls asleep with tears on her face. Now he understands that she was only saying she was okay to make him feel better, not because it was true. He asks the sleeping Mi-nyeo, “Are you actually in pain, instead of being okay?” He wipes the tears from her face.

Tae-kyung: “Then I can’t hold on to you. I wanted to be able to see you well when you came back, so I was trying to see even in the dark. Every day, I even ate the carrots and spinach I hate, because I worried that I might lose you in the dark. Because I didn’t want to lose you. But I can’t even hold on to you when I can see you well.”

(Awwww……)

After this reminder that he’s still causing her pain, Tae-kyung tells Hoon-yi to take Mi-nyeo away. Hoon-yi says that if he lets her go now, it might be goodbye forever, since she’s going to Africa. But Tae-kyung is resolute.

In the car ride back, Hoon-yi gives Mi-nyeo a ticket to the concert. She’s not sure if she can make it because of her flight, but she’ll try.

Tae-kyung decides he can’t keep the Pig-Rabbit doll (now wearing the star necklace) in his room anymore. He thinks back to the times he had seen Mi-nyeo making the pig-nose, such as the time he had serenaded her. He retires Pig-Rabbit to the storeroom from whence it came, saying, “The Pig-Rabbit that only appeared in front of me is now extinct.”

Mi-nyeo has been living at the convent all this while, teaching at the orphanage. One of the girls gives her a book containing pictures of stars, because it’s one of Mi-nyeo’s daily habits to seek them out.

The little girl points up at the sun and says, “There’s a star in the sky in the daytime, too.” Mi-nyeo sees where she’s pointing, and corrects her: “That’s not a star, that’s the moon. The moon isn’t a star.” The girl wonders, “There’s no star in the daytime?” Mi-nyeo answers, “There is a bright, blinding star in the daytime. The bright sun is always in the sky.”

She continues to make her preparations to leave, meeting her aunt to say goodbye. Aunt Mi-ja says with dismay that the other boys will be disappointed if she doesn’t see them before going, because they’re always asking about her. And then she adds hesitantly: “There’s another person who wants to meet you, but I’m not sure whether you should. Mo Hwa-ran wants to meet you.”

It’s not an easy decision, but Mi-nyeo contacts Hwa-ran, who is grateful for the meeting. Hwa-ran gives her a CD containing songs that had been sung by her mother, Lee Su-jin. Hwa-ran had used her connections to ask around and collect them, explaining, “I felt I had to do this before I could say I’m sorry to you. When your father was with your mother, he never once came to me. As you said, he said my love wasn’t really love and didn’t accept it. Your mother would have known that the person he loved wasn’t me but herself.”

Because she hadn’t thought Mi-nyeo would want to see her, Hwa-ran says that it means a lot that Mi-nyeo called her. Mi-nyeo responds that this means a lot to her, too, because “You told me what I wanted to confirm. I’m glad to hear this before I left.”

Hwa-ran: “Are you really going far away? If you leave like this, Tae-kyung won’t forgive me. He won’t see me. This is the first time he’s been like this. Couldn’t you go and tell him you’ve forgiven me?”Mi-nyeo: “Why don’t you go to him directly and ask forgiveness? The person you need to seek forgiveness from the most is Hwang Tae-kyung. Please ask his forgiveness, so you do not pain him any more. He has always yearned for his mother.”Hwa-ran: “Why do you say this when he’s in your heart? If I’m with him, don’t you know that it will be more difficult for you to be with him?”Mi-nyeo: “Because causing a precious person to leave you isn’t love.”

Concert day. Jeremy frets over whether Mi-nyeo will come and asks to borrow the Pig-Rabbit for luck, but Tae-kyung tells him that he got rid of it. Jeremy wonders, “Weren’t you waiting for her?”

Tae-kyung: “Why should I wait for someone who won’t come? It’s over.”Jeremy: “Did you even say you waited?”Tae-kyung: “Why would I say that?”Jeremy: “Not saying that you waited is the same thing as not waiting, you arrogant butthole!”

(Hee.)

Next, Tae-kyung runs into Heyi in the hallway, who rubs it in his face that she’s here for Mi-nam, not him. She wonders if it’s really true that he got over Mi-nyeo as he insists, and guesses, “You’re faking that you’re over her, right?” Then she tosses his words back at him: “You aren’t embarrassed about being caught faking, but it’s embarrassing being caught for real, isn’t it?”

In the dressing room, Shin-woo also asks whether Mi-nyeo is coming; he can’t believe Tae-kyung just let her go the other night. Tae-kyung answers, “She said it hurt to be close by, so I let her go.”

Shin-woo: “I bet you didn’t let her go, you shoved her away. Letting go is only something you can say when you’ve held on till the end. Have you held on to her? What you saw in Japan was me holding on to her till the very end. It must have looked pathetic and laughable to you, but because I took it all the way, I could let her go. You didn’t do that, did you? You just stood there in your place, and didn’t think of following her when she said it was hard, didn’t you? Fine, keep preserving your pride and stand there until she runs far away, mighty Hwang Tae-kyung.”

Hwa-ran shows up at the concert, spurred by Mi-nyeo’s words. Even though he might not listen to her apology, she has to say it anyway, and for once her words sound sincere, not bitter:

Hwa-ran: “I’m sorry, Tae-kyung. I left you alone because I thought you were someone who would never abandon me. I only felt the pain of being abandoned myself, and hurt you. It’s natural that you wouldn’t call me mother.”Tae-kyung: “Why are you saying this all of a sudden?”Hwa-ran: “I’ve become scared. You’ve decided to really abandon me now. I’m trying to hold on to my son.”Tae-kyung: “How surprising. I thought you were someone who’d never beg.”Hwa-ran: “That girl told me to come to you directly and beg for forgiveness.”

He’s surprised to hear that his mother met with Mi-nyeo.

Hwa-ran: “I thought if I apologized to her, you might meet with me. She’s going to go far away, do you know that? I have no right to say this to you, but I hope you don’t lose someone precious to you and regret it, like I did.”Tae-kyung: “Why are you telling me this?”Hwa-ran: “She said that making someone precious leave you is not love. Telling you this is the love I can show you as a mother.”

Tae-kyung starts to walk away, but pauses. Without turning back to face her, he says, “I can’t tell you now that I forgive you. I’ll hear out today’s apology someday later. Goodbye… Mother.”

After all this tough love from his friends, Tae-kyung is jolted out of his stubborn pride. He finds out Mi-nyeo’s location from Hoon-yi and speeds to the orphanage, where he asks a kid where her teacher went. Hearing that she has already left, he wonders where to go next. Then he spies the photos the girl is holding — they’re all pictures of stars. He looks around the room, which is plastered in similar pictures, remembering Mi-nyeo’s promise to think of him every time she sees stars — this is proof that she’s always thinking of him, and that she still loves him. The little girl notices him looking, and adds that there’s another “most handsome star,” which her teacher is going to see today.

She means, of course, the concert. Tae-kyung understands the implication and speeds back to the arena, where Mi-nyeo is one of a multitude of fans waiting for the concert to begin. She eyes her watch worriedly, sad that she may not able to see much — or anything at all — before she has to leave.

I love this shot, because we know that this comes from the filming event that opened its shoot to fans, and we know that the fan excitement in this scene is real, not just enacted for the sake of cameras.

When Tae-kyung comes back, he tells the others that Mi-nyeo is here, in the stands. But when he goes onstage, he can’t spot her among such a huge crowd. Trying to think of a solution, he changes their concert plan and decides to start things off with a solo.

Tae-kyung takes the stage, squinting at the fans to try to pick out Mi-nyeo as he sings “What Do I Do”:

As I let you walk another step away, it brings tears to my eyes
As you walk another step away, it brings tears to my eyes
I reach out my hand, but you go where I can’t approach
I can’t hold onto you, I can only cry

What should I do? What should I do?
You’re leaving
What should I do? What should I do?
You’re leaving me and going away
I love you, I love you
I call out to you but you can’t hear me,
because I’m only crying out with my heart

All day, I try to erase you but I keep thinking of you
All day, I say goodbye but I think of you again
I reach out my hand, but you go where I can’t go
I can’t find you, I can only cry

What should I do? What should I do?
You’re leaving
What should I do? What should I do?
You’re leaving me and going away
I love you, I love you
I call out to you but you can’t hear me,
because I’m only crying out with my heart

What should I do? What should I do?
You’re still the one for me
What should I do? What should I do?
You’re leaving me
What should I do? What should I do?
You’re leaving me and going away
I love you, I love you
I call out to you but you can’t hear me
because I’m only crying out with my heart.

As Tae-kyung wraps up the song, Mi-nyeo starts to leave, working her way toward the back of the audience. Tae-kyung finishes his song and says into the microphone, urgently:

Tae-kyung: “You’re listening now, aren’t you? It’s so bright here, and your side is so dark that I can’t see you. Please, don’t be where I can’t see you! Come to where I can see you. Give permission to let me see you.”

The crowd goes wild! Moved to tears, Mi-nyeo turns back around and slowly starts to make her way toward the front again. But Tae-kyung still can’t see her, shrouded in the dark as she is, so Shin-woo tells the producer to cut the stage lights and turn on the audience lights.

When the stage lights flick off, Tae-kyung, now standing on the dim stage, scans the audience intently. It’s nice imagery, as Mi-nyeo emerges from the dark into the light. Tae-kyung spots her.

Keeping his eyes fixed on her, Tae-kyung makes his way to the edge of the stage, and steps among the fans as they scream excitedly. The crowd parts ways to let him pass, until he comes to her.

He grabs her to him in a hug, and says:

Tae-kyung: “I’m going to keep telling you, so listen good every day. I love you.”

Now for our epilogue: A short while later, Mi-nyeo and Tae-kyung look up at the night sky, enjoying a relaxed mood. She’s still going to Africa (which he doesn’t love), but she’ll return soon enough and tells him to wait for her. Responding to her lighthearted tone, he says, “You’ve gotten arrogant. Aren’t you even sad to leave the brightest, most handsome star in the sky?” She reasons, “Still, I can’t take you with me.”

Tae-kyung makes a sudden plucking gesture in the air, and tells her, “You pick [the star] out like this.” He opens his fist to show her the star necklace, and tells her to wear it.

She accepts it happily, then comments on the romantic gesture by telling him he’s changed. “Do you like me that much, to pluck me a star from the sky?”

Tae-kyung: “You keep getting more arrogant. If you’re going to do that, give it back!”Mi-nyeo: “No, you cannot! This is mine!”Tae-kyung: “They have lots of diamonds in Africa. Give that back.”Mi-nyeo: “I cannot make that! I have no skill.”Tae-kyung: “So treat me nicely while I’m here.”

The playful bickering settles down as Tae-kyung pulls her toward him and puts an arm around her. They look up at the sky as a shooting star falls:

Mi-nyeo: “I will never, ever let go of the star I have finally grabbed!”Tae-kyung: “Yeah, don’t ever let go. I’ll only shine in front of you.”

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COMMENTS

Phew! It’s finally over, and I still have so much to say! (Big surprise.)

As for this episode in particular…

I really liked the ending. I have some quibbles, which I’ll get into in a moment, but for the most part I was satisfied with the way the big separation was reconciled and how the conflicts were resolved.

Some people are disappointed that we didn’t see more Mi-nam, but I for one like it this way. We all know that it’s Park Shin-hye acting the part, and they’ve made sure to keep the glimpses of Mi-nam brief and mysterious. If we were to get entire scenes featuring him, we’d just get more reason to nitpick at the boyish image, and I’d rather be left wanting a little more than feeling dissatisfied for little things that would likely stand out — the voice, the girlish face, etc.

What I particularly appreciate is that we get our big dramatic moment, but we also get a lighter, cuter moment to go out on. The concert scene was done well, I thought, and also satisfies our desire for a grand climax. For instance, the song: I freaking love this bit, and not just because it’s a big romantic gesture and Jang Geun-seok is singing, ooh wow swoon, etc. In addition to all that, it’s just so appropriate on multiple thematic levels.

He chooses this song because it’s a message to Mi-nyeo, so even if the words meant something else entirely, it would still work to the same effect. But it carries a double meaning now, because the lyrics that her father used to beg her mother to return are also applicable to Tae-kyung as well.

Furthermore, when Mi-nyeo asked Tae-kyung in Episode 15 not to let his mother redo the song, he didn’t answer, “Yes, I’ll stop her” — the words he used were that he would “return” the song to Mi-nyeo (and her mother). He’s not only returning it symbolically by making sure his mother doesn’t claim the song again, he’s quite literally returning it with this performance.

And then, after they affirm their feelings for each other, I think we need a little bit of a denouement to give us time to come down from that high, which has the added benefit of showing us Tae-kyung and Mi-nyeo in a more “normal,” everyday interaction. Their dynamic isn’t as extreme as the fantasy wedding sequence from Episode 15, but it’s still amusingly offbeat. I don’t see why Mi-nyeo has to go to Africa because that’s just a throwaway line and they could have easily left that out, but I’m not going to nitpick that (much).

As I mentioned previously, I liked the separation in this drama, if only because it could have been a lot more drawn out and contrived than it was. I thought it made a lot of sense, because the obstacle wasn’t necessarily insurmountable, but it wasn’t something Tae-kyung (or Mi-nyeo) could fix merely by pushing for it. He needed to let her grieve for her mother and learn to accept him again without pain, and while their love is strong enough to overcome this, it’s not ready yet. The solution here is time, and he gave that to her.

But of course, the introduction of time into the relationship also opens up the chance for further miscommunications, as we saw here. The culprit wasn’t just mistiming or mixed message; it was Tae-kyung’s pride, like his friends pointed out. Like Heyi, throwing away one’s pride over something fake isn’t hard at all. But it’s much more difficult when you have to throw it away for something real, which would hurt more. For Hwa-ran, that is the difference between her manipulative love for Go Jae-hyun — which she went out of her way to claim — and her feelings for her son, whom she was afraid to approach.

On the other hand, both Jeremy and Shin-woo expressed themselves fully, so they are frustrated with Tae-kyung for stopping short of that. It’s also why they’re able to be happy for Mi-nyeo even after they’ve lost her, because they could give her up cleanly. Tae-kyung’s need to keep his pride is understandable, and I don’t blame him for it — with his upbringing and lack of maternal affection, all he had to cling to was his pride, since he sure as hell didn’t have love. He just needed a big push in the arse to realize that there things worth giving up that pride for, and now that he DOES have love, it’s worth the risk. Thankfully his friends are there to give him that push.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

A few criticisms:

The plot of a drama often drags about two-thirds of the way through. It’s inevitable, and is partly due to writing fatigue, and partly viewer fatigue. The Hong Sisters are better than most at avoiding this problem, and although they aren’t immune to it, at least the episodes with some drag still have a lot of funny moments to balance it out. In You’re Beautiful, those slower moments tended to be about the Hwa-ran storyline, because for the longest time she was out there on her own, drinking and moping and not really connecting to the main story. In the end, it came together nicely and I appreciated how this resolved with our main characters, as I mentioned in the previous recap. But for a long while, she was off on her own tangent, and whenever the story cut to her, I felt the energy drop. She was a fascinating character, to be sure, but only slightly connected to the main plot.

The song remake plotline was rather overwrought, and Hwa-ran’s manipulations in relation to that. In resolving the big mystery of the parents’ generation, we got an answer that works for the story and for our protagonists, but on the downside, it reduces the wrongdoing to one single person. I don’t love that.

The Hong Sisters are great with twisting funny beats out of dramatic and/or emotional moments, and they have a great sense for plot pacing. I think they’re so good at keeping our interest high with their fun-filled, energetic developments that they don’t NEED to rely on makjang elements like birth secrets, evil mothers, and other overly melodramatic devices. So when they do use those elements, I think it’s a waste to highlight moments that aren’t as fluid with the rest of their material. They don’t need those plots, because I think some of my favorite episodes were the ones that didn’t focus on them. And even in episodes where the melodrama came to the fore, my favorite moments were the funny scenes tucked in around them.

Furthermore, I think that they have done a great job creating new situations to keep audiences laughing, but sometimes their dramatic beats feel recycled from prior dramas. When a scene is tweaked and reused, the second time may lose a lot of its punch, because it no longer feels organic to this particular story — it feels like it was tweaked and reused to fit a square peg into a round hole. It fits very WELL, of course, but one can’t help notice that it wasn’t something that arose naturally from these circumstances.

(Mi-nyeo’s hairclip is one such device, as is the Hong Sisters’ tendency to drum in Significant Metaphors a bit too long. The stars, light, darkness, and seeing motifs are all excellent analogies that correspond to the emotional developments, but would pack as much — or more — punch if they were more judiciously applied. They don’t need to be in every scene for us to Get The Idea.)

But those are essentially quibbles in what has been an overwhelmingly enjoyable drama-watching experience.

Of course the Hong Sisters have flaws. Perhaps more than some less-famous writers of more well-regarded dramas. They don’t write the most polished or intellectual scripts around. They are sometimes clumsy and/or heavy-handed. Occasionally they take their humor too far; sometimes a gag is too obvious to be witty or sharp.

But they don’t condescend to their audience, either, and their dramas aren’t pretentious. I loved their comment in the interview post where they say that they each have IQs of 100, which makes their writing team a collective 200. While their dramas aren’t intellectual, that doesn’t mean they’re dumb — their brand of comedy can often be quite smart, actually. (And sometimes it’s silly, jokey, laugh-out-loud funny. That’s cool too.)

They approach writing with energy and joy. Their skill isn’t in creating perfect dramas, but in establishing heartfelt characters and situations that tug at the heart. They manage to tap into that source of giddy, youthful wonder that we may have thought faded well into our adulthoods, and for that I am not only pleased, but grateful.

November 26, 2009 at 10:35 PM

November 26, 2009 at 10:35 PM

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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!
i was waiting for your post on the final episode of YAB, LOL.
i always agreed with your insights on dramas and the last episode was like wrapping things up. (=
thank you again for posting the last episode of YAB. <3

November 26, 2009 at 10:42 PM

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omg! it's here! i've been waiting to read your comments javabeans. I wanted to see what you thought of the ending. A lot of people were complaining about it. I personally liked it although i felt that it was a bit rushed. but all in all with the time constraints that they faced, i'm pretty happy with the finale. Thanks javabeans. you've made my thursdays and fridays really happy. What to do next week?!?

November 26, 2009 at 10:42 PM

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thank you for the recap!!! i haven't read it yet because i just want to say first that... very, very lucky korean fans!!! they're so lucky. they got to see more from that concert. and they probably saw everything. i do hope that they include the entire concert footage on the dvd...

i'm a little disappointed that i didn't see mi nyeo and mi nam interract with each other. but, oh well. the whole process of coming up with that sort of special effects is going to take at least a few days or weeks. they don't have that much time so i guess it's okay with me.

November 26, 2009 at 10:43 PM

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thanks for the summary. but frankly, i was totally disappointed with the ending. i was expecting the romantic kiss that JGS said they would shoot. guess it was either deleted or JGS lied just so people would watch the drama til the end.

i think the production team said there was going to be a real wedding, but it never happened.

there were fewer HTK and GMN happy moments which i thought that the last episode must show so that the viewers will finally heave a sigh of utter happiness and contentment that, at last, it was really a romantic and good show.

funny how it is allowable for the two actors to have a kissing scene in a CF where teens and adults and children can watch but not in the last episode where finally, HTK admits he is in love with GMN. the balcony scene should have been the best place where it should have happened. and all viewers, i believe, were expecting that. how can the writers censor this possible senario?

anyway, the end has come. that's the korean way of showing dramas for teens, like in BOF. when the male lead hugged the girl, the latter didn't hug back. is that how love is portrayed in Korean teen dramas?

but come to think of it, aren't some teens also watching IRIS where i believe have some sensual kissing scenes? just wondering!!!

November 26, 2009 at 10:49 PM

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Sad it's over... but I loved this drama. Thanks for the recap Java... Parting is such sweet sorrow YAB... but you have become an absolute favorite. Thanks for all the laughter, the ridiculousness and that wonderful warm feeling of a happy ending.

November 26, 2009 at 10:49 PM

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I'm so glad you liked it too! I for one loved the simplicity and sweet parting. =) I'm also super glad that they retained MN and TK's original personalities instead of some mushy over-the-top ending! It was an awesome drama! Thanks so much for all ur recaps! I'm so glad I followed it through the end with your blog!

Btw, does anyone know where to find the 'What Should I Do song' sung by Jang Geun Seuk at the concert? Its sounds so nice.....

November 26, 2009 at 10:50 PM

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@20

The scene got deleted! Actually a lot of scenes got deleted along the way, due to time constraints and they only have 16 episodes - the last ep had to wrap up the whole series + resolve all the conflicts, so yep its pretty hard for them to squeeze in everything. And I DOUBT JANG GEUN SUK WOULD LIE, OMG. HE WON'T!!

November 26, 2009 at 10:57 PM

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this is the first time that i have left a comment here.
thank you so much (",) for your posting
i have read a lot of comments from various websites and yours is the most enjoyable one since epi 1.
will miss this drama very much
wednesday and thursday will not be the same again!
keep us posted with YB update hopefully about season 2... wishful thinking =)

November 26, 2009 at 10:58 PM

November 26, 2009 at 10:58 PM

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Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for the recaps JB! I'm actually surprised at how much I've liked the last two episodes since midway through I wasn't enjoying the drama as much as I did in the beginning. But the last two episodes had some great scenes and JGS and PSH really do emotional scenes well. Thanks again, even more so since it was Thanksgiving.

November 26, 2009 at 10:59 PM

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Farewell, You're Beautiful. I will miss your brightness...my wednesdays and thursday will be a darker place now. Thank you for being so wonderful and bringing smiles and tears for two months! Best kdrama Ever!

November 26, 2009 at 11:00 PM

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thanks a million for your recap! i finally watched the drama before your recap, and without subs too, so it was really great to understand what they were talking about. (public holiday in Singapore so yay!!! watching YAB earlier than usual.)

initially, i was annoyed that their reunion was so brief. but it makes sense cos GMN's going to Africa. i'm kinda glad cos ahe's finally found her place in life. i doubt if there'll be a sequel (i think they're usually never as good as the originals) but perhaps there'll be a TV special or something. with footage of the concert. now that would make a really good Christmas present!

November 26, 2009 at 11:02 PM

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i've managed to sneak in some net time on my vacation!!!
JB thanks!!!
i thought i was gonna die of anticipation ..
i love this drama.... i have never posted for an earlier drama,,, i started posting only for YB.. cos i needed somethin to get through the week,,, :P.. and some wer to rant/rave :D.
sigh,,,haven't even watched the raw for 16...:(
and now its over... :(
withdrawl symptoms beginning to show.....
:(
thanks JB....

November 26, 2009 at 11:02 PM

November 26, 2009 at 11:02 PM

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And so it ends.:-(

My head : Wow what an ending.They managed to wrap up all the loose ends nicely in just 2 episodes WITHOUT a time jump.And TK and MN stayed true to their characters till the end.:-)And also loved the fact that the last episode was mirroring the first episode.:-)

My heart : WTH! Where's the much awaited kiss?Disappointed. *goes to watch the Etude CF again* And sheesh-A final concert showing ALL the guys of A.N.JELL wouldn't have hurt us you know.:-(

So it's a bitter sweet ending for me:-) But I LOVED the show and its up there along with Coffee Prince as one of my all time favorites.:-) Ah how do I fill the void left behind by YB now?:-(

Thank you JB for recapping the entire series:-)Really appreciate it.:-) And to all those who celebrate it - Wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Eid.:-)

November 26, 2009 at 11:02 PM

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Thank you for the wonderful recaps, and the insightful commentaries.

By and large I agree with you, but somehow I felt a little let down by this ending. Maybe it's the fact that she's still going to Africa? That seemed odd. I mean, she is still very young, and she does need time to grow up, but she's only just got back her one true love and oh, sorry, I already had plans? It doesn't sit right. There just wasn't enough time with the two of them together, either physically or emotionally (I am thinking of Coffee Prince's two year interregnum when Go Eun Chan went to Italy, but she and Han Kyul were still together as a couple).

Yes, the separation was needed for healing, and I also can understand that as someone who has had very little love, TK is not going to be quick off the mark to recognize it in himself or the person giving it to him (hence his assumption that despite all the evidence he has ever had from her, MN doesn't love him anymore and has dumped him). But... there needed to be more time together after the separation was resolved.

Also, I'm TOTALLY confused about the song now. Didn't GMN sing it herself early on as the single? (And then was overcome with emotion? Was that when Manager Ma taught her the pig nose?) So how is that the same song that MHR wanted to sing? I thought the song that MHR stole was called Goodbye (released as a version with JGS singing--I think you had it posted here, DB). Did I miss that entirely? When did that get sung in the series? The song that's posted here in the recap is the song GMN sang, isn't it? But is it the one the Mi Nyu sang in the noraebang (sp?) and the one TK sang at the concert? So sorry, I'm just all muddled up.

November 26, 2009 at 11:02 PM

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This drama was beautiful. I can't really express in words how joyful I felt each week anticipating 2 new episodes. It has never happened before and amazingly enough, YAB never dropped the ball. Thank you. JB, for the wonderful recap.

November 26, 2009 at 11:02 PM

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OMG! I can't believe it's over! Now I have nothing to look forward on Wednesday and Thursday. Anyway, thank you for the wonderful recaps as always Javabeans, it certainly has been a great experience reading your point of view on the drama, although I might not always on term with your opinion on the drama, but I find it enlightening to see what others think about the drama. ^_^ May we be able to enjoy more drama recaps from you in the future. Goodbye You're Beautiful. I sure love you til the end. ^o^

November 26, 2009 at 11:02 PM

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I’ve been a silent lurker of your site since BBF days. That was actually my first introduction to k-drama. Was I ever glad to have found your site! You’ve been my guide into the wonderful k-drama world. I’ve been apprehensive watching any k-drama before as I didn’t get it why someone would watch & read (non-Korean people, like me), when I didn’t even have time to watch regular shows on tv, being a busy working wife & mom of an active 3 year old. Now, I certainly do. It is just addicting not to mention entertaining! You can tell I’ve been obsessed with anything and everything Korean now. From the food, music, culture and k-drama! You know I’m obsessed when during the BBF craze I was seriously considering perming my husband’s hair. He said NO! Of course, this was after I bought him a top (because it’s like the one Jun Pyo’s was wearing). Now, seriously considering asking hubby to try on eye liner just to see how he would look with it. But, that might be going too far. LOL! I think the "man-liner" only looks great on TK! Atleast, my hubby is a good sport. He started watching k-dramas with me. Also, now my son says “saranghae” and “kamsahmnida” very well. We even have our own group support (my sisters & my friend – who are all addicted as well). We e-mail each other atleast 10x a day…just rambling about k-drama. I have the episodes downloaded onto my itouch and the music as well. I’ve actually stopped watching eng shows and even my eng music was changed to Korean music.

In honor of YB’s finale, I just want to finally say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Your recaps and all the news about k-drama have been really helpful! I appreciate all that you do especially for me who does not speak or read Korean.

I wasn’t planning on starting YB while it’s still airing because I thought I don’t want to go through the angst and frustration of waiting for the eng subs to air. But after reading your first recap on it, I just had to start it! I’m so glad I did! Otherwise, I would have missed on the fan craze and all the emotions that go with the waiting and waiting and finally seeing your recap…Then, watching the raw together with your recap not understanding most of it except when it’s the simple expressions like “anyong” “kamsahmnida” “saranghae”, etc. ! Oh the joys!

I just have to say that I LOVE YB! After watching a lot of kdramas (BBF, Goong, MNKSS, Dal Ja, CP, City Hall, etc) YB is now on the very top of my list. I haven’t seen the finale or read your final recap yet but if all goes well, I’m sure this is now my NO. 1!

I will for sure miss YB. My Wed, Thurs & Fri. (that’s when I usually watched the eng subs) will never be the same. But atleast, it’s all in my itouch so I can just rewatch them over and over again and listen to the music as well. This drama really made me laugh out so loud. It always surprises me. I have so many favourite moments from this drama. But my son’s favourite is the pig scene with TK. He plays only that particular scene in my itouch over and over again.

Anyway, thanks to all it had been a very enjoyable ride! I enjoy everyone’s comments (Yes, I do read them all).

November 26, 2009 at 11:04 PM

November 26, 2009 at 11:05 PM

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Finally, it's here.
The concluding and final recap of the last episode of You're Beautiful.
I was looking forward to the end of the story, but when it's here, I found myself wanting more.
It has been a very enjoyable (and frustrating - as this is the first time I'm watching a drama at the same time it's being broadcasted) period. Just want to say thank you for the enjoyable recaps and interesting insights of the drama plot!!
100 points! <3

November 26, 2009 at 11:06 PM

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JB - thank you sooooooooooo much for recapping YB. i anticipated watching the episodes specially after reading your recaps. YB was a very good drama! it was both refreshing and heartfelt to journey with HTK and GMN - including Jeremy and SW!!

now, i've come down from the high that was "YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL"... what to watch next?